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'The Wizard of Oz' opens this weekend at The Palace

This summer marks director Clare Cooke’s 40th year with The Palace. She said “The Wizard of Oz” was chosen for this year’s summer musical because, “we decided a new generation needed to experience it. Some of the kids on stage weren’t even born when we did it 10 years ago.”

MARION - The Marion Palace Theatre's production of “The Wizard of Oz,” running this weekend and next, is truly a community event. It features performers ranging in age from 8 to 77, as well as dozens of volunteers serving as musicians in the pit orchestra, members of the crew and in other vital roles.

Judging from a recent dress rehearsal, the hard work of the cast and crew is paying off. Everything one might hope for in a production of “The Wizard of Oz” was present. There was beautiful music from the orchestra, powerful vocals from Dorothy, terrifying shrieking from the Wicked Witch of the West, and, of course, a very cute Toto.

Dorothy is played by 14-year-old Madisen Schenk, who will be a freshman at Harding High School in the fall. Schenk first became interested in acting after seeing The Palace’s performance of “Annie.”

She said it made her think “Oh my gosh, this looks amazing.” The next year, she joined the group that had so amazed her as a chorus member in “Oliver!”

She said she likes playing Dorothy because she appreciates her “strong-headedness” and that “she’s not afraid to stand up to anybody.” Schenk said she believes participating in theater is important because, “it builds confidence, it builds character … it makes you just an overall better person.”

Kristi Wink plays the terrifying, shrieking Wicked Witch of the West. Beneath the green nose, which she carefully kept from melting off with a handheld fan, Wink offered a big smile as she talked about her love of the theater. She said she grew up at The Palace and pursued theater through university and all the way to Broadway where, in 1992, she earned a role in “The Will Rogers Follies.” Of her success she said, “the Palace is definitely a breeding ground for that.” Wink said her favorite thing about theater is “the people, definitely the people.”

Dorothy is played by 14-year-old Madisen Schenk, who will be a Freshman at Harding High School in the fall.(Photo: Megan Neary / Marion Star)

Toto is played by a small gray dog named Rocky, who belongs to the Theatre’s executive director, Bev Ford.

Then, there is the theater itself. “Wow, this is amazing,” is what traveling artists typically say the first time they see the theater, according to Ford. With its red seats and ornate architecture, the Palace Theatre is clearly a classic. Built in 1928 by renowned theater architect John Eberson, The Palace is one of only 16 “Eberson Theatres” still in use. As Ford looked around the theater, she smiled, saying, “I like everything about working with the theater … it’s just a great place to work.”

This summer marks director Clare Cooke’s 40th year with The Palace. She said “The Wizard of Oz” was chosen for this year’s summer musical because, “we decided a new generation needed to experience it. Some of the kids on stage weren’t even born when we did it 10 years ago.”

Cooke said her favorite part of directing is teaching.

"Especially just teaching theater etiquette, teaching the ethics of theater to a new generation … it’s fun to experience watching them learn,” she said.

Cooke said The Palace’s community productions offer an important opportunity for extracurricular activities.

“There are so many amazing opportunities today for kids who want to be involved in the arts,” she said. Cooke also loves the feeling of community that permeates The Palace. “It truly is a family,” she added.